Three new mezzotint prints that continue to explore the emotional qualities of various environments or 'boneyards' that I've created.
Info and pictures of my process are included below. These can also be seen at Davidson Gallery in Seattle, WA.
Boneyard, Mezzotint, 8"x 10", 2015
Carnival, Mezzotint, 9"x 12", 2015
Lighthouse, Mezzotint, 12"x 18", 2015
My Process
First, I ground a copper plate using a mezzotint rocker that I've attached to a 5 ft. wooden poll.
Moving the rocker back and forth over the copper plate creates a bur on the surface which will eventually hold the ink. If you repeat this enough times in enough directions you achieve an evenly grounded plate that will produce a deep, dark black when printed.
Once I finish the endless hours of rocking, I draw or carve the image with a burnisher and scraper. Value structure is determined by how much of the bur I burnish or scrape away. If I remove the entire bur and return the metal to its original smooth state, it will print white. If I leave half the bur, It will produce a mid-tone and so on and so forth.
After I finish carving and proofing my plate it's time to have it steel-faced. Since the copper only yeilds a limited amount of prints, I need an electroplate procedure in which a microscopically thin layer of pure iron is electrodeposited onto the face of the plate. The result is a plate that I can print up to 80 times without degradation. Special Thanks to Paulson Bott Press in Berkley!
I then ink and wipe the plate, first with a tarlatan and then the palm of my hand.
Next, the inked plate is set on the press bed and a sheet of damp printmaking paper is placed on top.
Once rolled through the press, the plate will transfer the ink to the paper creating an embossed image.
Finally, the wet print is placed in between dry sheets of paper and flattened with heavy boards until completely dry.
I teach mezzotint and intaglio workshops, just contact me for more info. Thanks for viewing!
